Light Through the Fog
by Makoto Naegi
Summary: She wanted nothing more than for her friends to be safe and with her again. She felt weak, useless, scared. But she had to stay strong. Saving the world is tough, but with friends, somehow it just might be okay. [OC]


000

It was getting dark outside.

Small, yellow lights flickered in the dimmest parts of the city. A little girl and a little boy played together in the small central park, on the slide. A child sat alone, on the bench, smiling.

She had a strong heart. She could sense it.

A violet-haired woman, deep blue eyes, and a heart of gold sat down to a small girl with blonde pigtails. The one on the bench.

"I believe you have what it takes to be strong someday." The woman smiled. She equipped her weapon. The small blonde smiled, dimples forming, as the woman granted her power like none other.

The blonde giggled, hugged the woman, before the taller of the two disappeared forever.

_**~000~ Twelve years later ~00~**_

A blonde teen sat up with a start, feeling cold, air standing still around her. Looking down, seeing a golden mural with a small, frail looking woman holding an apple on it. It was gorgeous. Tempting to touch, but not quite enough to unhinge her tense joints. She was scared stiff.

_So much to do...  
__...so little time..._

The words seemed to be visualized, rather than heard. She ignored it.

_Take your time...  
__...don't be afraid._

_The door is still shut._

_Now... step forward.  
__Can you do it?_

Of course she could. Hesitant, the petite girl stepped forward just as the darkness surrounding her had asked.

She ran a hand through her short blonde hair in scrambled confusion, and scanned her surroundings with her sea-green eyes. Three podiums stood in front of her, suddenly, startling her. But for some reason, just as she began to step back, her fears were eased.

_The power sleeps within you._

_If you give it form..._

_It will give you strength._

_Choose well._

She stepped forward. A red shield, a steel sword, and a blue staff. Before she knew it, she decided to pick up the shield.

_The power of the guardian.  
__Kindness to aid friends.  
A shield to repel all.  
Is this the power you seek?_

"Yes."

_Your path has been set._

_...But what will you give up in exchange?_

Moving to the side, she chose the staff.

_You've given up the power of the mystic.  
__Inner strength.  
A staff of wonder and ruin.  
You give up this power?_

"Yes."

_You've chosen the power of the guardian.  
You've given up the power of the mystic.  
Is this the form you choose?_

_"Yes."_

A door appeared in her sight, as she slowly walked towards it. The pink door began to glow as she opened it. Stepping into it, she was engulfed in the light. Squinting, she closed and opened her eyes, only to find herself standing near three kids. A girl, with long brown hair, a boy wearing a hat with shaggy blonde hair, and a very tall boy with dark brown hair spiked up, and goggles on his face.

She approached the girl with the sisterly air and brown eyes.

"What are you afraid of?"

"Getting old..."

"Getting old? Is that really so scary?"

She walked towards the quiet boy with his eyes hidden behind his hair.

"What do you want out of life?"

"To see rare sights."

"To see rare sights, huh?"

She walks towards the boy wearing goggles with a spark of adventure to him.

"What's most important to you?"

"My friends."

"Is friendship such a big deal?"

_You're afraid of getting old.  
You want to see rare sights.  
You want friendship.  
Your adventure starts at dawn. As long as the sun is shining, your journey should be a pleasant one._

The blonde smiled.

"Sounds good."

_The day you open the door is both far off...  
__...and very near._

The girl suddenly appeared on a different floor, with a woman that had light hair on it. She wore a dress, and looked like she was sleeping. She tugged her pink scarf nervously, as a staircase appeared in front of her.

"Whoa..."

Multi-colored, they lead to a whole new area above her head. She adjusted her white shorts, and looked down at her light purple top, and let in a shaky breath. One by one, her black boots took her up the colorful staircase. Standing upon a green light, she felt engulfed in safety. Once she stepped out, the feeling of security left completely.

_The closer you get to the light,  
the greater your shadow becomes._

A tall, looming figure towered over her. It had a gaping hole inside, and looked ready to maul her. She almost fell off the floor when she attempted to escape.

A white and purple key suddenly appeared in her hands, with a floral chain coming down at the end. The key looked relatively sturdy, but she was scared. Horribly frightened.

The looming figure stepped forward.

_But don't be afraid.  
And don't forget..._

Twisting her body, she sprinted towards the creature. She whacked at its hands, head, and feet. It fell down, only to stand and swat at her again. Screaming suddenly, she whacked it some more. Wham, whack, bam.

It fell after three minutes. She was scared stiff.

_But don't be afraid.  
You hold the mightiest weapon of all._

She began to get engulfed by darkness.

_So don't forget:  
You are the one who will open the door._

"Maira! C'mon, wake up!"

Maira opened her eyes, and sat up abruptly. She was surrounded by her three friends, who were standing over her, concerned. Her oversized pink scarf was covering part of her face, as well as her purple shirt with a zipper up the middle.

"You're okay!" A female, by the name of Shasa, had lightly shouted, her amber eyes glimmering. "I've been worried sick! I'm so glad you're alright!"

The chubby brunette gathered the frail blonde into a hug.

The darker skinned girl, Shasa, wore a red, short hoodie with a white tank underneath, and black narrow legged pants. She had a black knit headband over her long, curly brown hair.

Blake, a male with blue eyes, wore a brown bomber jacket over a gray shirt, looked relatively smug at the time. He seemed to always have his arms crossed, and his eyes closed. A daydreamer, he was. You could always see a glint of adventure in him. Although, at times, he could be a bit rude to others.

The goggles rested on his face as they always did, and he crossed his arms and looked away from her. "You collapsed all of a sudden. We were wondering what happened to you, but we didn't want to move you, so we just kept an eye out on you."

Maira put her hand on her head, staring at the floor. "I- I was in a dark world... And there was a monster, and I beat it with a key..."

The third friend, Dagan, smirked, adjusting the gray loose fitted hat on his head. He wore baggy blue pants, a white shirt, a black hooded sweatshirt over it, and red headphones around his neck.

"Maira's lost it." He whispered into Shasa's ear. The brown haired girl gave him a dirty look.

"I heard that." The blonde girl shot at the blond boy. He smirked, and pranced away.

Shasa smiled. "The dream you had... it can't be that bad, right? C'mon, Maira, let's go to our hideout."

Blake said nothing. He just looked away, but followed suit. He seemed quizzical. Suspicious. But maybe, just maybe he was hiding something. He adjusted his brown bomber jacket and went on his way. Dagan looked dazed, but followed, a goofy smile on his face. He towered over the other kids, but acted a lot younger.

**_Bamboo City_**

It was foggy out like it always was. The kids escaped the alleyway that Maira had collapsed in, and made their way to the sidewalk. There were always very few people living in the city, despite the amount of skyscrapers there were that loomed over their heads. Not that they mattered. They were always shrouded by thick fog, anyway.

Moss covered some of the sides of the buildings. The city lacked crime. It had a few shops here and there, as well as a small neighborhood in the back of some buildings, but there was nothing too exciting. Although, at night, the fog cleared, and the view of the stars was beautiful.

Although, at dawn, the fog would return, and it would be the same as usual. Same old same old Bamboo City.

It was chilly outside, and Maira tightened her scarf around her neck and used the ends of them as mittens. She wasn't as dizzy as she was when she first woke up. She ran a hand through her short, spiky blonde hair."Man, I can't get that weird dream out of my head. So... Bizarre."

Dagan, the older boy who was much taller than the others, chuckled. He smiled at her, which was reassuring enough.

"It was just a nightmare, Maira! I'm sure it's fine. Just relax."

Shasa giggled in response to what Dagan had said. "Yeah! I'm sure it's okay. Hey, maybe we should hurry, it's starting to get dark."

"Really?" Maira asked, turning to face the other girl, her eyebrow going upwards. She looked genuinely confused, and her friends felt a bit sorry for her. "I thought for sure it was still morning."

"Maybe it's because we were staring at your corpse for four hours." Dagan joked, and earned a punch in the arm from Shasa. Dagan tended to joke about the most grotesque of things, but it wasn't a proper time to do that. Maybe later... but it was probably always going to be a bit too soon.

Maira stopped walking abruptly, frowning. "What?! I was out for four hours?!"

"Well, yeah." Blake interjected for once. "You smashed your head. You were unconcious."

Maira began to ponder why exactly her friends didn't, you know, **send help. **Like what the normal person, such as herself, would have done. What if she cracked her skull? They would've been real sorry then, wouldn't they.

Cool autumn air blew across the four of them. Maira shivered slightly.

"Whatever. Anyway, let's get a move on." Blake said. Shasa followed suit, while Dagan and Maira fell behind. They continued to walk, however.

"Blake, Shasa, Dagan..."

"Hm?" Shasa asked, her curly hair bouncing as she turned around. "What is it, Maira?"

"... It's nothing... Ignore me."

That sentence ended with a nervous giggle and a blink of the eyes.

Shasa frowned slightly, and put a hand on Maira's shoulder. "If you say so. If you need anything, just ask..."

Maira stayed silent for a few minutes after that. Why did she feel so uneasy all of a sudden. Sure, she had just woken up from an unpleasant nap, but... What was up with her mind? Why had that dream been so... Vivid?

The teens passed multiple skyscrapers, and approached a small opening in the back of an alleyway. They made their way through it, into a small forest-grove. The forest had a dense, thick fog, just like the city did, and bamboo grew in various areas. The four of them climbed a rope ladder, up into an oversized treehouse, in the biggest tree of the woods.

It wasn't exactly a fancy treehouse, it was shrouded with moss, with a shaggy carpet, a few comfy chairs, and a table with various board games in the middle, but it was their spot. And it was great enough.

Dagan proceeded to punch Blake in the arm, which made the shorter boy kick him in the knee. Shasa laughed loudly, while Maira merely watched, a small smile etching its way onto her face. Her friends were so important to her. They were great.

But all this greatness would soon fade into darkness. As the sun set, she felt a shiver go down her spine. Something was off. And she needed to find out what.

_The day you open the door is both far off..._

_...and very near._

0000

**A/N: Well, the first chapter is here. Tell me what you think, please! The violet haired woman will be explained later. A minor OC. You'll see.**


End file.
